Rheostat.



A. J. HORTON.

BHEO STAT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

D STATES hATENT GFFHJE.

ALBERT J. HORTON, 8F WHITE, ZLAIE'S, N

YQRK, ASSIGNQR TQ THE CUTLER- HAMMEE MFG. 90. OF MILVJAUKEE. WIECGNSIN, .2. CORPORATION 01? W15- CONSIN.

Iii-H3681 AT.

To all whom it may concern lle it known that l, ALBERT J. HORTON, a citizen of the United States. residing at \Vhitc Plains, in the county of \l'estchcster and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rheostats, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming; a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rheostats.

It is one of the objects of my inventionto provide a simple. compact. and eiiicient rhec-- stat especially adapted for electric fans, but wl h may also be used for various other purposes.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose o'f disclosing my inreution I shall describe the embodiment thereof illustratcdin the accompanying drawing, it being understood that my invention is susceptible of modification.

la the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the rheostat; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. l is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

The several parts of the rheostat are mounted upon an insulating block'or base 10. This base carries the resistance, the terminals, and the resistance regulating contacts. In practice, it may be of any desired shape, size and material. I prefer, however, to form the base of porcelain. As illus trated, the base is substantially circular and provided with a. reduced portion forming a continuous recess or groove 11 across and around the same for receiving the resistance 12. The resistance preferably comprises suitable wire which is wound around the-- base between and parallel to the walls of the recess 11 and the recess is preferably made of such a. width as to accommodate the desired amount of resistance wire in a single layer. This is advantageous, for where the wire is Wound in several layers the adjacent layers must be insulated from one another. Further, the arrangement of the resistance in the manner illustrated is advantagcol'is in that it enables the use of a thin base and distributes the resistance over Specification 05 Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Serial No. H9341.

a lar fe area which facilitates and expedites the dissipation of the heat from the resistance. Taps or terminal leads 13 are taken off of the resistance 12 at suitable points. The leads 13 may be readily connected to the. resistance by providing small holes 1t in the base 1'.) and passing the ends of the leads through these holes one or more times to bind the same against the turns of the resistance wire. The ends of the leads 13 may be soldered if desired.

The leads 13 are connected to contacts 15. These contacts. as illustrated, each comprise a screw 15 extending through an opening in the base 10 and secured in place by a nut 15". The nuts 15 also serve to bind the ends of the leads to the contacts. As illustrated, there are three leads and four contacts, one of the contacts being dead. Of course, in practice, there can be as many taps and corresponding contacts as desired.

Coiiperating with the contacts 15 is a lever 16. This lever is pivotally'secured to the base 10 by a bolt 17 which extends through an opening in the base andbas a lock nut 18. The other end of this lever bears directly upon the contacts 15 and is provided with a suitable insulating handle 19 for moving the same back and forth over said contacts. In practice I prefer to provide the contact engaging portion of the lever 16 on opposite sides thereof with projections 20 and 21 so spaced as to serve to bring the lever 16 to a positive stop over each contact. The movement of the contact lever is limited by bosses 22 and 2 3 which are preferably formed integrally upon the base 10.

The contact lever 16 is adapted to beconnected to one of the supply lines through a. terminal plate 24 clamped between the same and base 10. 'lhisbase carries a suitable binding: screw Q5. The other supply wire is adapted to be. connected to a terminal plate 26 secured to the base 10 by a screw 27 and having a binding screw 28. For sim licity and conrenience I prefer to arrange t e terminal plates in close proximity and in order to avoid danger of short-circuits I prefer to provide. an insulating barrier 29 between these plates. This barrier preferably comprises a boss or lug formed integrally upon the base 10.

The connections between the rheostat and the motor or other translating device to be controlled may be madelay wires 30 and 31 coon l respectively to t is screw 27 of the inimlir platc and the extreme right hand COIllfi 15, shotum $4. With such rminal nc'nitii'c gfly lino.

n pram co, the resistance may be insulated in. any desired manner. I prefer, however, to curbed the sauna in cement or other plastic composition 30 which may be readily applied and used to substantially fill the re coss or channel ll in which the resistance is placed.

-What I claim as new and desire. to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A rlicostat comprising a flats-rid substontially circular has having a transverse portion of reduced crcs ,scction providing :1

l lilo-sonic; a resistance wound channel urounr urouml said lnlsc in said channel, a scrics of contacts mountcrl 031 said 2158' on one side of said 'clug 'iiici incl tcrminulsimd a pivoted contact lcvci inouxrt' on soul base on the. opposite sirlc of said Cll2lIUlGl,'S1l(l contact lever: cooperating with the aforesaid contaotsi 2. A. rhcostat comprising a substmitially circular bass having oppositely disposed segmental oortions and an intcrniiccliate portion of reduced cross section providing a channel botwocn said segmental portions, :1 resistaucc wound around said base in said channel, an insulating filler for said channel covering said resistance, terminals and a pivotccl lcvor mounted upon one of said segmental portions of said base and a series of contacts mounted on the other segmental portion of saiil base to be engage-:1 by said contact lover. I

. 3. A. rheostot comprising a fiat base, a rcsistunco Wound around the same transversely thereof, said base having a series of spot-- turcs theretlirougli contiguous to its edge, taps for said resistance looped through saicl apertures and around the edge of said base to engage certain turns of said resistance and. contacts fixed to said base and connected to said taps.

l. A. rheostat comprising a substantially circular and. flat base, a resistance wound around said base transversely thereof lea ing only segmental exposed portions of said base, one of said segmental portions of said base being provided with a perpendicularly (llsposed'bm'ricr, and terminals fixed to said lmscon opposite sides of said barrier, a lover f'ulcruined to one of said terminals, and a scries of contacts fixed to the other segmental portion of said base to be engaged by said lever and having electrical connection with said resistance.

5. A rhcostat having ii base, a resistance, contacts fixed to said base and connected to said resistance, a pivoted resilient contact arm cooperating with said contacts, said arm being yieldable perpendicularly to its piano of .ivotcd .movomcnt progcctions extending perpendicularly to its plane of pivoted movement for ccntcring of said arm on said contacts.

8. A, rlicostat provided. with a base having segmental end portions and. an intcrn'icdiutc portiorrof reduced cross section, a resistance wound or; 1nd said reduced portion of said base, an insulating cover-in, for said resistance, a scrles of contacts mental portion of said base and electrically connected with said resistance, a terminal late sccurcglto the other segmental portion of said base, a, contact lover cooperating with said contacts and. fulcrumcd to said base to bear upon said terminal plate, a second ter minal fixed to said base adjacent soul terminal plate, and an insulating barrier on said base botwecn said terminals.

- In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name inthc presence of two witmesses.

ALBERT J. HORTON. "Witnesses i i W. L. Coma, P. H. JONES.

and having spaced .Xcd to one scgs 

